Your baby
by AAB
Summary: Harm gets a visitor with a with a very unexpectant "gift". Can he find out what happened?
1. Chapter 1

_For some reason the first time I posted this story things got mixed up so I removed it and posted again_

_Disclaimer: not mine, Bellisario's_

**Your baby  
**

_**Part one  
**_

_July, 16th  
La Jolla, California  
_"Damn**," the tall man cursed, seeing the smashed window of his car.

_June, Saturday morning  
Washington  
Harm's loft  
_"Mr. Rabb?"  
"Yes," Harm answered the woman standing in his door jamb.  
"Mr. Rabb, social security number .46.16?"  
"Yes," nodded Harm, getting more and more curious.  
"I am Mrs. Vaughan from the Child Protection Services San Diego. I'm here with bad news, I'm afraid. Can I come in for a moment?"  
Again Harm nodded and put a step back to grant the woman access. Inside he offered her a chair, which she took, and a drink, which she politely rejected. He himself sat opposite of her and waited.  
The woman cleared her throat. "I'm sorry to have to tell you Courtney Tillman died of cancer two weeks ago in Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego."  
Harm kept a complete blank face. The name meant nothing to him. A bit unsure Mrs. Vaughan continued. "As you are the father of her baby girl Wendy, I have to ask you whether you accept responsibility for her."  
Now she definitively had Harm's attention. His jaw dropped. "I don't know a Courtney Tillman, or her daughter Wendy. And I'm definitively not the father."  
Mrs. Vaughan didn't seem convinced. She dug into the large bag she was carrying and came up with a manila folder from which she produced a copy of a birth certificate and a photocopy of a driver's license, both of which she handed over to Harm. He wasted no time in scrutinizing them. And, low and behold, there was _his_ name on the birth certificate, complete with his year and date of birth. And it was a copy of _his_ diver's licence, with a note stapled to it telling this was the diver's licence of baby Wendy Maria Tillman's biological father.  
Flabbergasted Harm shook his head. "I never … This can't be my baby!"  
"The evidence says otherwise, Mr. Rabb," Mrs. Vaughan told in a stern voice. "So now I have to know whether you accept your responsibility. I have a colleague waiting in a cab with the baby. This is the paperwork you have to sign. You will have to contact CPS Washington as well, within 10 days." The woman produced more papers and a pen, pointing at the spot she wanted Harm to sign his name.  
"And if I refuse?"  
"Then the baby will go into foster care. Maybe she will be eligible for adoption but that's not sure yet. We have to do an extended search for relatives first."  
This jolted Harm out of his bewilderment. In too many cases he had seen how wrong things in foster care could go. This little girl was not going that way, not before he had had a change to find out what had brought her on his doorstep. Still baffled Harm did as she asked and signed the various papers Mrs. Vaughan showed him.  
Then she rose, walked out of the door, leaving it open behind her. Harm heard her use the elevator. Moment later she returned with a baby carrier in her arms, filled with seemed to be a yellow and pink blanket. Behind her a younger woman appeared, almost staggering under the weight of at least five bags.  
"This is Wendy and that is her stuff," Mrs. Vaughan announced, placing the carrier on the table. The other woman gratefully dropped her load on the floor.  
"Well, I guess we are done here." Mrs. Vaughan reached out to shake Harm's hand and in a daze he returned her handshake. "Don't forget to report to CPS Washington."  
Both women marched out of the door, leaving Harm behind to take care of his new daughter.

It took Harm a few moments to recover, but a whimper from the carrier made him jump into action. He hadn't seen his new 'daughter' yet! Carefully he folded back the blanket and was rewarded with the sight of an adorable little face. The baby blinked against the light and let out another wail. With trembling hands Harm lifted her up and held her against his chest. The baby yawned and closed her eyes again, satisfied to be held. Despite the fact there was no biological connection between them, Harm felt a wave of love for the little girl. Carefully he carried her over to the couch and sat down.  
"Well, little missy, it seems we are convicted to each other now," he smiled. "My God, you are one beautiful little lady." He sniffed "and one stinky one. I think I have to see what you brought with you." He placed the baby on the couch and used a pillow to ensure she couldn't fall. Then he headed for the bags. To his relief they contained everything he would need the first days, including two packs of diapers for newborns, bottles and formula – luckily there were directions on the label – and baby clothes. Thanking God he had babysat little AJ and Jimmy several times, he started with changing Wendy's nappy. Checking his watch he decided it was time to have some lunch and he was sure Wendy would like a bottle as well. He read the directions and managed to make his new daughter a decent meal. After feeding and having a bite himself, he tucked her into the carrier again and sat down to make a plan.  
It was only now it dawned to him Mrs. Vaughan had taken all the paperwork with her again. He didn't even have a copy of the papers he signed. That was one thing on his to-do-list and a very important point. Next he needed help. Taking care of a baby when there was nothing else to do was one, taking care when you had to work fulltime and sometimes more than fulltime was another. He grabbed his cell.

_Saturday afternoon  
Harm's loft  
_Both nursing a cup of tea they sat on the couch. Mac still couldn't believe it. When Harm called and told her what happened, she had dropped anything and had rushed over to his place. There she heard the whole story once again. Taking a sip she fought another wave of jealousy. Harm having a daughter. Harm with another woman, having baby with her. She told herself it was not her business. They were best friends but not engaged or so. He had every right to have a fling. Or a girlfriend. In fact, he had had several. Annie came to mind, and Jordan and Renée. But then again, he had always been open about them; never felt the need to hide something from her. Not that he went into detail, but she knew. And hadn't she had relations as well? Dalton, an occasionally date and even being engaged to Mic. She had absolutely no right what so ever to be jealous.  
Having waited patiently for her to digest the news, Harm now disrupted her thoughts. "Well, what do you think?"  
Mac stayed silent for a few more moments. It was such a weird story. How could a woman, a complete stranger according to Harm, have all his details? It didn't make sense. But then again, Harm wasn't a liar. She realized she mustn't allow her jealousy to stand in the way of clear thinking and fair judgement. Slowly she shook her head. Harm felt his heart sink.  
"No," she said "you could never have done that. I believe you, Harm. You're not Wendy's father."  
Harm whooshed out his breath.  
"Even if you had a fling with Courtney, you would have used protection. And you would never, ever abandon your child."  
Next thing she knew Harm pulled her into a fierce hug. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear. Mac felt him tremble and was touched; she hadn't thought her faith in him meant so much to him. When he released her she said "well, what's next? Since this is not your child, it must be someone else's."  
Harm nodded. "It must be, but I haven't the faintest idea whose. I guess I have to go to California but first on the list is calling Child Protective Services there. I hope they are willing to cooperate. Anyhow, I can't leave while the trial is still in process."  
Mac nodded. "Did you notify the Admiral yet?"  
"No, you think I should do that now or wait till Monday?  
"I think you'd better do it now. If he knows, he might be able to help, or at least be more understanding when you need time off." She thought back at the time she really had let her CO down. At that time the Admiral had been even more disappointed by her not coming to him when things got rough than with her behaviour in itself. Despite his stern appearance Admiral Chegwidden had a warm heart, both for his subordinates as for children.  
Harm nodded and reached for the phone. "Bud and Harriet will be here early this evening," he told her in the meantime. "They'll bring the boys' crib over, a bouncer, a bathtub and whatever Harriet thinks I need more."

That evening Bud and Harriet showed up, bringing the promised crib and anything else he might need. Harm greeted them warmly, again considering himself lucky to have such good friends. Again the whole story had to be told. By then it was time to give Wendy a bottle and have Bud and Harriet meet her.  
At the pleading look of his friend he handed Wendy over to her and headed for the kitchen to retrieve the bottle. He knew the loss of baby Sarah a few years earlier was still a raw spot in her heart and how she loved to hold a baby. In the meantime he helped Bud to set up the crib in his bedroom.  
Wendy safely back at sleep Harriet shared some advice about handling a baby. She had also called little AJ and Jimmy's day-care and arranged an emergency place so Harm could bring Wendy there the next Monday morning. With the upcoming trial he had to prosecute he couldn't afford to stay away from the office.

The two next weeks proved to be exhausting for Harm. Not only did he have to make long hours, Wendy took all of his free time. Especially feeding her at night turned out to almost break him. The second week he was so tired he almost felt asleep during staff meeting. Only Mac's quick reaction, a kick to his shin, saved him from a bawling out by the Admiral. That same evening Mac unexpectedly turned up at his doorstep, carrying an overnight bag in her left hand. She had to knock four times before he woke up and went to answer. When he opened the door she marched in announcing "It's enough, Sailor. I'm staying here for a few nights to help you out. You need sleep!"  
Harm wanted to protest, tell her he didn't need help but a massive yawn betrayed him. His shoulders slumped. "You're right."  
Mac took his shoulder and steered him towards the couch again. "Sit down while I make tea. Then we'll discuss logistics." Meekly Harm did as he was told. Inwardly he was relieved someone else took over the reins.  
Each with a mug of tea, they agreed Mac would be on feeding duty that night so Harm could have his first full night of sleep in ten days. Next to that she would move in with him for a couple of nights a week so they could share the care for Wendy. Silently Mac was very happy. She was already fond of Wendy and 'playing house' for a while with Harm was a dream come true. If only it wasn't just for the time being …


	2. Chapter 2

_**Part 2  
**_

_Late June  
Friday  
_Two weeks later Harm was on his way to California. He had mixed feelings about his trip. Even though he was as determined as ever to find out how this mix-up could have happened and who Wendy's biological father was, he also realised he probably would lose her when he succeeded in doing so.  
After picking up his rental car his first appointment was with Child Protective Services. With a letter of recommendation of CPS Washington it shouldn't be too hard to get the information he needed. Luckily he didn't have to deal with Mrs. Vaughan again.  
One and a half hours later he left the building, a file with copies of all available papers in his briefcase. He would have to study them meticulously. CPS also has provided him with the address and phone number of Courtney's best friend and even made an appointment for him. That would be his first step the next day. For now there was little he could do.

Two hours later he parked the car in front of his parents' house in La Jolla. They were very surprised to see him but happy anyway. One look on his face told his mum now was not the time to ask questions so she opted for providing him with an iced tea and a plate of food later on. After that they sat in the living watching TV till Harm cleared his throat. He knew now it was time to break the news to his parents. He decided to follow the timeline, telling how he received Wendy and what he had done to find out what had happened. He ended with "so that's the main reason I'm here. Today I got copies of all paperwork from Child Protective Services and tomorrow I have an appointment with Courtney's best friend to see if she can tell me more about her and the real father of Wendy."  
Trish and Frank were flabbergasted. Whatever they had thought of, not this. Nevertheless they believed him unconditionally when he said Wendy was not his baby and wasted no time in telling him so.  
"Do you have a picture of her?" was the next thing Trish wanted to know. Harm grabbed his wallet and produced two photos, one of him with the little girl in his arms and one of Wendy, lying in her crib.  
"She is such a cutie; how can anyone abandon her?" Trish sighed.  
"Her mum died, that much I know, and I wonder whether her biological dad even knows she exists," Harm said. "As I said, I have an appointment with one of her friends tomorrow. Maybe she can tell me more." He stood and stretched. "Do you mind if I call it a day? I'm tired and I want to call Mac before going to sleep. I promised to call her between 11 and 11.30 pm. At that time she will be giving Wendy her night meal" he explained.  
His mother walked over to give him a hug. "Sleep well, my boy, and if there's anything we can do to help you…"  
"I second that," Frank stated.  
Harm hugged her back and gave her a peck on the cheek, then shook Frank's hand. "Thanks," he said.

_The next morning  
Somewhere in the southern part of San Diego  
_It was only ten o'clock Harm when knocked on the door of Aileen Winter's two-room apartment. Being Courtney's best friend she should be able to tell him more. Already informed by Child Protection Services, Aileen was expecting him and invited him to sit at the kitchen table while she poured two mugs of coffee. Then she started to tell.  
"Courtney was born in a small town in Michigan. She was a single child and when she was seven she and her parents moved to San Diego. She had a happy childhood till her parents were killed in a car accident when she was twelve. After that things went from bad to worse. Since there was no family to take her in, she was transmitted to Child Protective Services and went into the foster system. First it wasn't too bad; she was with a nice family. But like it happens too often; she was placed in another family and then another and again another. She didn't want to talk about it but her silence spoke volumes. I'm sure she was abused. When she was eighteen she found a job and went to college. That was when we met. It took her years of working and studying but she graduated and got a better job at a day care centre. She never was into boys much and didn't have a relation. At first I thought she might be lesbian but soon enough I realized she had a hard time trusting people, especially men. But she wanted to have a baby. So badly. She was a born mother. I know she looked into the possibilities of a sperm donor but I don't think she went through with that. One day she told me she was two months pregnant."  
"Do you know anything about a boyfriend, a lover?" Harm wanted to know.  
"As I said, Courtney didn't have a relation. But I counted back to the time she must have conceived and I remember seeing the same guy walking around once or twice. She lived over there, you know." Aileen pointed out of the window. "Just two doors up."  
"That guy looked a bit like you, also tall and dark haired, but slimmer. I asked her about him but she didn't answer."  
She stood to refill the mugs, then sat again and continued her story.  
"At first the pregnancy went fine. But in the fifth month when Aileen went for a routine check-up the doctors found something wrong. Further check-ups revealed a tumour. In order to get operated she had to agree to an abortion. She refused. And she refused chemo and radiation as well for it might affect the baby. The doctors tried to reason with her, told her she most likely would not survive but all her concerns were for the baby." Aileen took a few deep breaths and wiped away a tear.  
"Wendy was born by caesarean section, two weeks early. They started cancer treatment on Aileen right away but it was too late. She died three weeks later. Wendy stayed with her in hospital and I visited her as often as I could. As I wasn't related I couldn't make a claim for the baby. Next to that, I have difficulties to support myself; no way I could take good care for Wendy as well." She rubbed her eyes. "I felt so guilty; Aileen would have hated to see Wendy go into the system too."  
Harm kept silent while she composed herself.  
"How is Wendy now?" she asked after a while.  
"She is fine; a very good friend of mine is taking care of her now." Harm searched in his wallet for the photos. "These are taken last week." Aileen studied them intensely. "She looks good," she said when she returned the pictures. "You can keep them, if you like," Harm offered and the woman carefully placed them in her diary.  
"What happens now? You say you're not her father but … are you planning to keep her? Do you have a family?"  
"I'm not her biological father but for the moment I'm legally her dad. I'm a lawyer at JAG, which is the Judge Advocate General, the justice department of the Navy. I defend and prosecute offenders. I don't have a relation. The CPS brought Wendy to me because they had evidence I was the father. Apparently Courtney kept a copy of my driver's licence with the papers of Wendy. However, I never slept with her so … Now I'm determined to find out how she got that copy and who Wendy's real biological father is. And then … we take it from there." He drained his mug. "But be assured I will keep Wendy's best interest at heart. I won't give her up to just anybody."  
Aileen nodded. "I'm glad about that." She rose. "When Courtney learned about her condition she started to make a treasure chest for Wendy. A diary she kept during pregnancy, letters to her unborn daughter, a quilt, some mementos. I never got the change to give it to CPS; they took Wendy before I could speak to them and since I'm not family …" She looked sad and grim at the same time. "Maybe it was for the best; a lot gets lost when a kid is in the system. I'd like to give it to you, so you can give it to Wendy."  
Harm nodded. "Do you know other people who can tell me more about Courtney and the possible father?" he asked.  
Aileen shook her head. "As I told you, Courtney had a hard time trusting people. She had hardly any friends, only co-workers and acquaintances. Maybe miss Wayers. She used to be her landlord. They were close. Before she got sick Courtney did a lot for her, helping her out with shopping and things like that. She moved to an retirement home last week." She walked over to the fridge to get a note with an address. Harm wrote it down in his notebook. He would visit the lady that afternoon, he resolved.  
Soon afterwards they said their goodbyes, Harm promising to let Aileen know what his investigation had yielded.

That afternoon he announced himself to Miss Wayers. It wasn't as hard as he had thought it would be; Aileen had already called her. Miss Wayers was very keen to hear about Wendy and Harm left a photo for her as well. Unfortunately she couldn't tell Harm much more than Aileen. She too only saw the alleged father a few times and gave the same description: tall, slim, dark hair and blue eyes. It was clear how he could have used Harm's ID. The elderly lady added she hadn't liked him; he seemed to have something sly in his demeanour. After he had gone, she missed a purse with money and some jewellery. There wasn't any proof he did it but it was too much of a coincidence. Courtney had never said something about missing items, though.  
Harm nodded slowly. A plan started to form in his head. "Did you report it to the police?" he asked.  
"I did but they didn't give me much hope. A junk, they thought. And since the stuff didn't have much value, financial or emotional, I left it to that."  
"Would you mind giving me a copy of the report?"  
Miss Wayers reacted surprised. "No, but why?"  
"It might be useful in my search for the real father. I don't know how yet but as a lawyer I know sometimes the smallest pieces of evidence can crack the case."  
The elderly lady nodded and went to fetch the report which she handed to Harm.  
"Thank you. I'll make sure you get it back. One last question. Courtney had a photocopy of my driver's licence. Did you see the original?"  
Miss Wayers shook her head. "No, I was just as surprised as you when they said you were the father."  
Knowing she had told him everything she knew and thanking her for her time Harm said goodbye. She too asked to be kept in the loop


	3. Chapter 3

_**Part 3**_

_Sunday afternoon  
Plane to Washington  
_The next afternoon Harm was going through all the papers again. A few chairs behind him were his parents, flying with him to Washington. Trish and Frank had expressed their desire to meet their 'grandchild' and since Frank had a business meeting in Washington as well, they had decided to combine the two things.  
Reading the papers and making notes he had the nagging feeling the solution was just out of reach. He read them over and over, hoping for the spark to ignite the light. Suddenly he smacked his hand on the papers. Then he rummaged through his briefcase to retrieve his driver's license and started to compare it to the copy from Carol's papers. A big grin spread out over his face. Now he had his evidence. 

_Sunday evening  
Harm's loft  
_They had eaten dinner and Trish and Mac had put little Wendy to bed while the men did the dishes. Now they were sitting around the table waiting for Harm to unfold his plans. He started with telling all information he had gathered and then came up with the discovery he made that afternoon. "See," he pointed out "on my driver's license there is a little d for duplicate, indicating it is a replacement. Remember I got my car window smashed when I visited you almost a year ago? The thief stole my driver's license as well and must have used it as his own identification papers."  
The three other people nodded. "Clever, sailor," Mac laughed.  
"What's next?" Frank wanted to know.  
"This gives me my strategy as well," Harm went on. "This, let's call him Mister X, what do we know of him?" He answered his own question. "He was in San Diego in July and August last year. He is tall, has dark hair and blue eyes and looks like me enough to use my driver's license. He is most likely the thief of Miss Wayers' money and jewellery. From Wendy we have his DNA, well, enough of it to prove he is Wendy's father. And most important, he has used my ID and that means he has been posing as a Navy officer!"  
Three blank faces stared at him.  
"I'm going to call in a favour at NCIS. Posing as a Navy officer is an offense. Posing as a Navy officer during a crime even more. As he also stole from my car there is a chance he is a multiple offender and already in the justice system. Then his fingerprints and DNA will be, too. So I'm going to ask NCIS to test Wendy's blood and run it through CODIS."  
Mac nodded thoughtfully. "That could work. It is stretching the rules but … it could work." 

_Washington  
NCIS-building  
_The next day Harm showed up at the desk in the NCIS building and asked for agent Gibbs. The men had met before and not that many pleasantries were necessary before Harm could voice his request.  
"You realize we would be stretching the rules for you?" the agent told him.  
Harm all but shrugged. No stranger to bending the rules a bit himself, he didn't see much of a problem.  
The other man laughed. "But I have to admit, it's a clever idea. We will check the girl's and her mother's DNA and see if we can come up with a father. That is, as long as he is in a database, of course. I understood you have a piece of hair from her mother?"  
Harm nodded and handed over the envelope with the lock of Courtney's hair he found in her treasure chest. "I hope it's not affected too much by the cancer treatment she received. And what you don't need to use, I like to get back. Not for me but for Wendy."  
"Well, let me call Abby. She'll take what she needs and you can take remaining part home." 

_10 days later  
Wednesday evening  
Harm's loft.  
_At 7 pm the phone rang. Harm rushed to get it, afraid it's ringing would wake up Wendy. It was agent Gibbs.  
"Your hunch paid off, Commander. The DNA came up with a match. The father is John Demmer, currently serving time in Western Region Detention Facility. I already contacted the prison. You will have to hurry. The man is a junk and dying from hepatitis, most likely due to dirty needles. To speed up procedures I requested visitation rights for you, this weekend. Good luck, Commander."  
This was more than Harm expected and he didn't hesitate to thank the older man warmly. Mac had been putting Wendy in her crib. She was curious to know what Gibbs had to report. Harm quickly filled her in and then called his CO. He needed permission for another trip to California. 

_Thursday night  
Harm's loft  
_A soft wail disturbed the nightly peace. Wendy was crying. While Harm slowly emerged from the depths of sleep Mac was already wide awake and on her way to the crib. She picked up the fretting baby, hoping she could sooth her before Harm woke up. Carefully she rocked the little girl. "Shhh, don't cry, mummy is here."  
Harm was on the brink of coming out of bed, too. After all, it was his turn for the night feed. But Mac's softly whispered words made him stop dead in his tracks. _Mummy_ is here. She considered herself mummy, mummy to his daughter? He realized now was not the moment to let Mac know he was awake. He didn't know how she would react when she realized he had heard the words only meant for Wendy. As silently as he could he repositioned himself on the pillow, pretending to sleep. Through his eye lashes he saw Mac leave the bedroom, Wendy on her arm. He heard the fridge open, the ping of the microwave and moments later the contented smacking of a sucking baby. Fifteen minutes later Mac carefully laid Wendy back in her crib, placed a soft kiss on the little head and crawled back into bed again.  
Both knew that, although they started sleeping each at their own side of the bed, they would wake up in each other's arms. 

Friday morning Mac dropped Wendy off at the day care. They drove separate cars; Harm would go straight from work to the airport. Mac wished him 'good luck' and since the blinds of his office were closed, gave him a firm hug. Both read the same fear in each other's eyes 'Would Wendy still be living with them next week?"  
It was all Harm could think off during the long flight to California. Would he be able to keep Wendy when the birth father knew about her? Did he want to keep her? How would he manage as a single dad? He couldn't hog all Mac's time.  
He sighed. Despite the fatigue and logistic problems the previous weeks had been heaven on earth. A taste of what he always had wanted since that day they made their deal: a life together for him and Mac, and a baby.  
He decided to try to catch some sleep. For now it was wait and see what John Demmer was going to do. 

Saturday morning  
Western Region Detention Facility  
The next morning he drove to the prison. After showing his ID and the paperwork he got from Gibbs he was shown to the warden's room quickly. Mister Sherwood asked him some questions and then had an officer bring him to the hospital ward. "Don't set up your expectations too high," he warned. "Demmer is very sick. The doctor gives him three weeks max. Only a liver transplant could save him but we don't do that with inmates."  
Harm nodded and thanked the warden for his help. Then he followed the officer. John Demmer proved to be a shadow of the man he must have been. It was hard to see how he ever could have fooled people in believing Harm's driver's license was his. He gave Harm a tired smile and Harm took a chair next to him so the dying man didn't have to speak loudly. He explained the reason for his visit and showed the man a picture of Courtney Tillman. Slowly Demmer nodded. "Yes, I know her. I hooked up with her for a while. And now you say she's dead? D*nm." With trembling hand he reached for the glass of water on his nightstand. Harm handed it over to him. He drank and said "It was only for two weeks or so. I always wondered what she saw in me. But I needed a place to crash and didn't ask further. And yes, I used your driver's license. Stole it a few weeks earlier from a car." He snickered, then burst out in coughing. "Stupid of you to leave it in the car." Harm went to get him some more water and Demmer drank again. When he had the coughing under control again he said "so I have a daughter."  
"Yes," Harm confirmed. "Wendy."  
"What does she look like? Do you have pics?" Harm produced a few and Demmer looked at them with attention. "She is a cutie," he sighed.  
Silences ruled for a while. Then Demmer asked "What do you want?"  
"Since the CPS only had my data to work with I'm her legal dad now. At first I just wanted to find out how this had happened. But they left Wendy with me and I fell in love with her right away. I want to keep her," Harm confessed. "But as you are the biological father …"  
"Quite a father," Demmer snorted. "You married? Have a girlfriend?"  
"No," Harm had to admit. "But I have good friends, a strong support system."  
"If I fight you … what happens?"  
"If you fight me, first thing what will happen is to formally establish your fatherhood. They will do that by comparing DNA. Then you have to file for parental custody. Since you are in prison it's not likely you get it, maybe unless you can provide your baby girl with a stable environment to grow up in. Like with relatives of yours. If not, she will go into foster care or will be adopted."  
"And by the time there is a verdict I'm dead," Demmer stated.  
"Yes," Harm had to agree.  
"Not going to happen," Demmer declared. "Let me tell you my story."  
That story turned out to bear a lot of similarities to Courtney's past. Except that he came from a bad family to begin with, a family where drugs, alcohol and violence had been part of daily live. And unlike Courtney John hadn't found the strength to free himself from the vicious circle.  
"Knowing my family she is better off with you," he ended. "I want, how do you call that, give up my rights to be her parent, officially. How do I do that?"  
"Normally I could provide the legal paperwork – after all I'm a lawyer – but since I'm a party in this matter I can't. You need another lawyer to make a waiver of rights and then you sign it. Next to that I think we'll have do another DNA test, just to be sure."  
"Do you know a lawyer?"  
"No, but I can ask the warden."  
"Right. I want to do it straight away. No one knows how long I have left. I'm no great loss to this world when I'm gone but I want my daughter to have a better chance in life. I don't want my family to find out I have a kid and file for custody; she wouldn't be safe with them." He tried to come upright. Harm, afraid he would work himself in a lather hastened to calm him. "Calm down. I'll speak to the warden right away."  
He called for the guard and asked to see Mister Sherwood again. The warden was most happy to help out. As Demmer needed to rest it was arranged Harm would come back that afternoon with a solicitor and the required paperwork.  
The rest had done Demmer well and he readily signed. Then the warden and one of the guards placed their signature, as witnesses. A nurse came in and took a vial of blood which she handed to the solicitor. He would bring it to a lab and have it compared to Wendy's blood.  
Afterwards Demmer lay back in the pillows, exhausted. "It's all set now?" The two lawyers looked at each other and nodded.  
"All set now," Harm confirmed.  
"Can I have a moment with Mr. Rabb?" Demmer asked.  
The other men walked away.  
"I like to see you again for a moment before you leave, Mr. Rabb," the warden said and Harm nodded.  
When they were alone Demmer asked "Can I keep the pictures?" Harm nodded "Yes, and I have some more," digging them up from his briefcase.  
"As I said earlier today, my death is no great loss to this world. But you know I never knew my father. My mother had several relationships, most of the men she hardly could recall. I don't think she herself has ever known who my father was. All my life I have missed that. Not only having no father but also never knowing what kind of man he was. I know you might not want Wendy to know about me but if you tell her and she wants to know … will you allow me to write some sort of testimony for her? My life story, what kind of man I am. And give her the few personal items that are dear to me. Even though there is not much to be proud of." Pleadingly he looked to Harm.  
Harm nodded thoughtfully. "I think that's a good idea. When Courtney learned she had cancer she made a treasure chest for her unborn child, for the same reason. We certainly will tell Wendy about her birth parents when she is older. Given the circumstances not at a young age but probably when she is an adolescent, or earlier if the situation warrants it. It will be good if there is something for her to learn more about both her birth parents when she wants to."  
"I will start writing this evening. Can you make sure it will be sent to you? Can you discuss that with Mr. Sherwood? "  
"I will do that right away," Harm promised. "I still have one question. Did you steal Miss Wayers' money and jewellery?"  
Demmer shrugged. "Yes, I needed the money. For dope, you know. Used the money and pawned the jewels. Unique Pawn Brokers on University Avenue. But I guess it's sold long ago."  
Harm stood up. "You better rest now." He shook the man's hand, knowing they would never meet again. Then he paid a short visit to Mr. Sherwood, sharing Demmer's request with him and receiving the assurance whatever John Demmer had to leave to his daughter would be sent to Harm. 


	4. Chapter 4

_**Part 4  
**_

_Saturday evening  
Harm's parent's house  
_Harm was in a very pensive mood that evening. In the late afternoon he had visited the pawn shop and to his surprise managed to recover all of Miss Wayers' jewels back. It turned out Unique Pawn Brokers had so much not reclaimed jewellery it hadn't even been on sale yet. He planned a visit to the elderly lady the next day, as well as to Courtney's friend Aileen.  
His mother put a mug of tea in front of him. "What are you thinking, my boy?"  
"I'm thinking about what is the right thing to do. I now proved beyond doubt that I don't have any legal right to Wendy. Legally I have to share that with the CPS. But then Wendy will most likely go straight into the system or go up for adoption. Something neither of her parents wanted." He started to pace. "Or I can keep my mouth shut. CPS San Diego clearly said it was out of their hands now."  
His mother stepped in line with him. "What did the birth father sign for? You said he waived his rights but is that all? And think of this: would it make anyone happy if you gave Wendy back?" It was a rhetorical question but she ticked off the points on her fingers anyway. "Not Courtney. She never wanted her baby in foster care. Not John Demmer. He told you so. Not you. Or Mac. Not us. We already love her as our own grandchild. And certainly not Wendy. Oh, I know. She is adorable and they will find her a good adoption family. But why can't you be that family? What paper did that Demmer guy sign?"  
Harm looked for the right paper and a smile appeared on his face. Demmer had not only waived his rights but also given Harm full custody.  
"That solves one of the problems," he announced.  
"What more is bothering you?" Trish wanted to know. Harm shrugged; he wasn't comfortable to discuss his love life.  
His mother kept looking at him in a way Harm clearly remembered from his childhood. The look that said 'you're not getting away before you told me everything'.  
He squirmed. "What if I find a woman I love? How many women want to step into a ready made family? The woman I love, I want her for me; not because I'm looking for a mother for Wendy. But at the same time she has to be a mummy to Wendy."  
Knowing he was rambling he felt silent, thinking about the word he overheard Mac whisper to the little girl.  
Now Frank stepped in. "Son, and I deliberately call you son, I started a relation with a woman who already had a child, too. You may not know this but we didn't meet shortly before we started dating. In fact I met your mother only months after your father went missing. That was when she started to work as secretary at our company. By then I already wanted to court her but it was too soon. She was still in mourning for your dad. I understood that. But I did keep in touch and my patience paid off. It took almost two years, but then she agreed to go out on a date. And it took another year to convince her to marry me. I know you were not happy with your mum remarrying and didn't hesitate to vent your opinion. It wasn't easy at the time."  
Harm blushed; he knew had been a pain in the ass.  
"What I want to say is: don't fill in for the woman you love. Make very clear to her that you love her, that you choose for her and want to be with her. But make it also clear that Wendy is a part of your life. It took us some time to become a family but I never regretted I married your mum. Or had you for a son. Not for everyone having a child already is a deal breaker." He gave Trish a warm, loving smile and she took his hand.  
"And it certainly will not be for Mac," he dropped another bomb.  
Harm's head shot up.  
His mother laughed. "You don't think we are stupid, do you? Or blind for that matter. We know you love her. We see the way you look at her; hear how you talk about her. And how she looks at you. Or at Wendy. That woman already considers herself Wendy's mother." She decided to leave it at that. Her son had enough to think about now. 

_Sunday morning  
_The morning brought a surprise in the form of a unexpected phone call. It was the lady from CPS who had helped Harm with the paperwork. Harm froze but Mrs. Willis quickly put him at ease. "This call is totally off the record. It's just me calling, not CPS. I just was curious whether you found out more about Wendy's father."  
Harm hesitated. How much could he reveal? Mrs. Willis seemed to sense his uneasiness. "You are legally Wendy's dad. I don't have any desire to take her away from you. Not as long as she it taken well care off," she added.  
Harm decided to confide in her. "As I told you earlier, I'm not Wendy's biological dad. Her father is John Demmer, currently serving time." He explained to the woman what steps he had taken and how he had found Demmer and ended with "he is terminal ill, hepatitis. Yesterday he waived his parental rights and gave me full custody over his daughter."  
There was a moment of silence and then Mrs. Willis said "I take it there is no family."  
"There is, but Demmer was very explicit in how unfit they are as caretakers for Wendy. Or any child. That is also his motivation for given up his rights. He doesn't want his family to know about Wendy."  
He heard the woman take a deep breath. "Well, that says enough. Only remaining question is: do you keep Wendy."  
"Yes," Harm said forcefully.  
He almost could hear Mrs. Willis smile. "As for CPS San Diego the case is closed. We delivered the baby to the father named in the mother's papers. Don't think we left the baby with you without any examination. We did a thorough background search on you and everything turned out good. Your meeting with me two weeks ago was logged as you getting some forgotten paperwork. No one knows about you not being the biological dad." Harm felt the tension seep away.  
"I wish you and Wendy a very good life. Goodbye," and with that she terminated the phone call. 

That afternoon he paid a visit to Miss Wayers. To his surprise he found Aileen there as well. Miss Wayers explained to him "When I got your call I thought I invite her too. Saves you a visit, I guessed." Harm agreed; it did save him a lot of time.  
Both women were very anxious to hear what his investigation had yielded. Harm filled them in about his visit to John Demmer and the phone call from Mrs. Willis as well. He ended with "So Wendy will stay with me."  
Then he turned to Miss Wayers. "After what Demmer told me I visited the pawnshop." He put his hand is his pocket and retrieved the jewellery, which he presented to Miss Wayers. Despite her initial claim they had no emotional value tears welled up. She caressed the items with a finger. "Thank you," she whispered. 

_Sunday evening  
Harm's loft_  
It was almost 10pm when he put the key into the lock. Quietly he walked in, finding Mac on the couch feeding Wendy. "Drink on, missy," she cooed. "I want you in bed by the time your daddy comes home. I want to talk to him."  
Harm smiled. "Too late. I am home." A bit startled Mac looked up at him. "I didn't hear you coming." Harm walked over to her and without thinking he kissed her lightly on the lips before leaning in more and softly kissing Wendy's head. To his surprise and delight she gave him a big smile. Mac gasped. "She smiled! For the first time!" Wendy turned her little head towards her voice and repeated her newly accomplished trick. Mac had tears in her eyes. "She is so precious." Harm sat next to her and wrapped his arm around the two of them. Mac rested her head against his shoulder.  
"You're okay?" Harm asked.  
"Yes," Mac answered. "Everything went fine. I took Wendy to my place yesterday so I could do my chores and today we had a lazy day here." Suddenly she looked a bit worried. "I mean, is it okay I took Wendy with me?"  
Harm looked shocked. "Of course it's okay. I trust you, Mac. Completely. When you take care of Wendy, you're in charge. I fully understand you have things of your own to do and helping me out is taking a lot of your time. I can't say how much I appreciate your help."  
Mac smiled at him but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. She didn't want him to thank her; she wanted _him_, period. And Wendy. To be a family.  
Wendy yawned. Her eyes slowly fell closed. After a while Mac stood up to put her in her crib. Harm followed her into the bed-area. "I'll put you to bed, little lady, and tomorrow your daddy will do it." She kissed the girl's little head and was about to lay her down when he wrapped his arms around them.  
"Stay," he whispered." Stay. For me, for Wendy." His arms tightened. "For us." Slowly Mac turned around, shifting the little girl's weight to her left arm so she could snake her right arm around his neck. "For us?"  
He swallowed and nodded. "Yes, for us. I always dreamed of an us. Even when I had other women in my life, it was never right, never complete. You complete me. These weeks when we took care of Wendy together, even though they were exhausting, it was what I always wanted. I love you, Sarah, and want to be with you. I want to build a life together." He took a breath. "I know I'm asking a lot of you. I don't want you to think I only ask you because I need a mummy for Wendy." He deliberately used the same word as she had done three nights earlier.  
Mac looked into his eyes. Even in times when his words were cryptic, his eyes never hid the truth. Harm let her take her time. With whole his heart he hoped his parents had been right, that she loved him back.  
Mac let go of his neck and turned away. Almost with measured movements she lay Wendy down and tucked her in. She took her time to adjust the blanket around the little body and to fold back the crib's curtains. Harm stood paralyzed. Then Mac turned towards him again, her face was adorned with the most beautiful smile he ever saw.  
"Yes," she said. "Yes to you, yes to Wendy. Yes to being a family."  
The switch was too much for Harm to grab. One moment he thought Mac was turning him down, the next she was saying yes. He could only stare to her, motionless. Mac understood his confusion. She stood on her tiptoes, kissed him and now his arms were around her like she was his life-buoy.  
"I love you so much."  
"Love you, too," Mac managed to bring out between kisses. She pushed him back, just far enough to allow her to speak. "I wanted this so much. Playing house with you was heaven and hell at the same moment. Heaven for it gave me a taste of what I always wanted, you and a family; hell because I knew it was only for a short time." Tears appeared in her eyes and she tightened her grip. "This is real, isn't it?"  
Harm held her close. "I know. It felt the same for me. And yes, this is real. I love you and want to have a family with you." He kissed her again, scooped her up and carried her to the couch where he sat with Mac in his lap.  
"I want to marry you and will ask you officially, soon!" he promised.  
Mac snuggled in. "And I will say yes," she vowed.  
They were content sitting together, Harm's hands caressing Mac's. After a while he saw her eyes fell closed. Realising he was fighting sleep himself he suggested "let's go to bed." Mac stirred and sat straight. "'kay," she murmured sleepily. Harm helped her up and, arms around each other, they walked to the bedroom.  
It was the first night they would start as they were to end it: in each others arms. 

The end


End file.
